BIG PICTURE
We are seeking a high-caliber, hands-on Chief Financial Officer to lead the company's finance organization and serve as a strategic and operational partner to the CEO and executive team. This role is not just about managing the numbers. It is about hands-on building of a finance function that is accurate, trusted, scalable, commercially sharp, and fully aligned with how the business actually operates. The right person will bring rigor, urgency, operational fluency, and strong leadership. They will know how to build systems, develop people, improve decision-making, and establish a cost effective and lean finance function that supports rapid growth without creating friction.
HOW YOU WILL SPEND YOUR TIME
- Lead the full finance organization across accounting, financial planning, tax and analysis, production finance, reporting, controls, systems, and cash management.
- Build a finance function that produces accurate actuals, credible forecasts, reliable cash visibility, and actionable reporting for leadership.
- Partner with the CEO and executive team on company strategy, growth planning, cost structure, capital allocation, profitability, and operational tradeoffs.
- Establish a clear operating model between Finance, Production, Operations, HR, Legal, and department leaders so responsibilities are defined and decisions are based on trusted information.
- Ensure strong division, department and IP level revenue finance reporting, including platform revenue, brand deals, licensing, monetization trends, and deal economics.
- Oversee the annual budget, periodic reforecasting, scenario planning, and long-range financial planning processes across the business.
- Ensure strong financial controls, approval frameworks, policies, and compliance standards without slowing down execution unnecessarily.
- Own enterprise-level cash strategy, liquidity planning, and financial risk management.
- Oversee the quality and usefulness of all financial reporting, including executive dashboards, variance analysis, board or investor materials if applicable, and key performance insights.
- Oversee equity, 409A, commission structures, insurance, debt/lender reporting,
- Ensure finance systems, tools, and workflows are designed properly and integrated in a way that supports both accounting accuracy and production reality.
- Create a high-accountability culture within finance defined by responsiveness, clarity, urgency, accuracy, and ownership.
- Identify structural issues early, make hard calls quickly, and drive resolution before problems become operational fires.
- Support major business decisions including headcount planning, production output strategy, pricing or margin analysis, vendor strategy, and operating investments.
- Lead banking, audit, tax, insurance, and external finance-related relationships as needed.
- Recruit, develop, and retain a finance team capable of supporting a high-volume, fast-scaling studio business.
WHAT YOU HAVE
- 12+ years of progressive finance leadership experience, including meaningful experience as a CFO, Head of Finance, or senior divisional finance leader.
- Strong foundation in both accounting or controllership and FP&A or operating finance.
- Significant experience in media, entertainment, production, content, studio, or another fast-paced project-based operating environment. Deep first hand experience with production finance operational needs.
- Proven ability to lead finance transformation, improve broken processes, build stronger teams, and create trust in financial reporting.
- Strong grasp of U.S. GAAP, financial controls, budgeting, forecasting, cash management, and executive reporting.
- Experience overseeing both historical reporting accuracy and forward-looking financial planning.
- Ability to operate strategically while also going deep into systems, workflows, team structure, and root-cause problem solving.
- Strong cash flow and working capital instincts.
- Strong systems fluency, including ERP and accounting platforms, production finance tools, payroll systems, and reporting environments.
- Strong communication skills with the judgment to challenge bad assumptions, simplify complexity, and align cross-functional leaders.
- Demonstrated success leading through ambiguity, growth, and operational change.
- Bachelor's degree in Accounting, Finance, Economics, or related field required; CPA and MBA strongly preferred.
WHO YOU ARE
- You know the difference between reporting problems and solving them.
- You are fast, direct, and highly accountable.
- You do not hide behind title, jargon, or delegation.
- You can challenge executives, support operators, and lead technical finance professionals without losing credibility with any of them.
- You understand that trust in finance is earned through accuracy, responsiveness, judgment, and follow-through.
- You know how to build a function that helps the business move faster because the information is better.
WHO OVERSEES YOU
The CFO reports directly to the CEO and works closely with executive leadership across the business.
WHERE IT ALL GOES DOWN
All the action takes place at our studio in Burbank, CA.
